A deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) held a press conference in parliament, on Friday, accompanied by a live ram that he brought with him to raise awareness about the problems faced by Turkey’s stock breeders.
Ensar Öğüt, a CHP deputy from the eastern province of Ardahan, brought the ram in the trunk of his SUV to parliament’s garden for the unusual publicity stunt.

“Turkey has been importing meat and livestock for the past five years and has paid nearly 5 billion dollars in total for this” Öğüt said in the press conference, struggling to hold the leash of the accompanying ram.

“Today, consumers must pay 30-40 Turkish Liras per kilogram for meat. So many people do not get enough protein because they are not able to afford meat” he added.

Öğüt wanted to draw attention to the government’s misguided policies on animals throughout the country, but most journalists were more interested in the ram on parliament’s premises.